Twice Upon A Time
by Calm Soul
Summary: Just what do you do when you meet up with a friend you haven't seen in a long time and old feelings start resurfacing? TyHil, RayMar, with slight MaxMer, KaiOC, and KenOC. Review!
1. The Beginnings Of A Plot

Note: Okay, I was working on finishing my one shot and I was just hit by this idea so badly I had to type it! I even had dreams about the plot! And I finally decided to shake it off and type. I want everyone to know I will be doing the 2nd chapter of Everlasting Falls very, very soon (but not that soon, because my exams are coming up!). There is a lot of OOCness around so beware! And this is also sort of an AU.  
  
Disclaimer: All the beyblade stuff belongs to whoever owns it. I own all the OCs and the other stuff you don't recognize. This is a bit AUish and everyone's adults here. I'll post the ages for the main characters (both real characters and OCs.)  
  
Girls: Boys:  
  
Hilary: 21 Tyson: 22  
  
Mariah: 21 Ray: 22  
  
Merriam: 21 Max: 22  
  
Lola Doss (OC): 21 Kenny: 22  
  
Debra Falls (OC): 21 Kai: 22  
  
Alicia Alders (OC): 21  
  
Chapter One: The Beginnings of a Plot

Third Person's POV  
  
It was a fresh spring Monday morning in San Francisco, California and the weather was mild and a man with blue hair was walking very, very swiftly.  
  
"Where is that building?" he muttered angrily as he turned around the corner of a street and stopped in front of a building. It was the biggest in the city and had glass windows all over it. The man entered the building and was immediately flocked by people with questions and info.  
  
"Mr. Granger, do you think the beyblade tournament should be in Vietnam or Germany?"  
  
Mr. Granger, the Blue Blazers want to know when they can schedule a practice with the Red Riders."  
  
Mr. Granger do you prefer jam or butter?"  
  
Mr. Granger-"  
  
"Quiet!" Tyson Granger yelled. The whole floor was absolutely silent after he yelled.  
  
Tyson rubbed his eyes tiredly and sighed. "Take all your problems and questions to my secretary, I'm a little late already!"  
  
He pushed through the crowd of people and headed to the elevators. He pushed the up button and waited. The elevator door opened and he was soon inside. He sighed in relief and leaned back against elevator wall.  
  
"Hey Tyson!"  
  
He mentally groaned in frustration and turned. His face immediately broke into a relaxed grin as he saw who it was. His friend Lola Doss was smiling at him.  
  
Tyson had met Lola at High school through Kenny. Kenny and Lola had been dating for a few months and he had decided to finally introduce her to the rest of the gang. Lola and Tyson had hit it off great when he found out she was good in Math (the subject he was failing). She would tutor him now and then and in return he would buy her a free sundae once every two weeks (A/N: This was in High School.).  
  
(A/N: Description ahoy!) Lola Doss had shoulder length light brown hair and brown eyes. When she wasn't wearing her navy pantsuit to work, she usually wore a loose pair of green shorts and a purple shirt. Lola had dreams of becoming a marine biologist but soon realized that she couldn't become one since she didn't have the experience so she settled working at the BBA with the rest of her friends. Kenny had just proposed to her a couple of days ago and Lola was already getting restless. She kept fussing over the wedding and other stuff. But luckily, she still had time to chill.  
  
"Hey Lola, how's it going?" Tyson asked politely.  
  
Lola smiled and replied "Everything's going great. I've got a superb caterer and I'm almost finished with the invitations-and OH! I almost forget the......"  
  
Tyson sweat dropped and began to zone out as he listened to Lola chatter. He jumped up as he heard the elevator open.  
  
He turned to Lola and said "Well see you later Lola! I've got to run." He stepped out of the elevator and walked swiftly.  
  
Tyson walked past the cubicles until he came upon a large door at the very back. He cautiously opened the door ands stepped inside.  
  
"You wanted to see me sir?" he almost faltered under the sharp gaze of his boss but managed to keep his composure.  
  
Gene Jax was the head of the BBA. He had black hair and sharp azure eyes. He was very strict and all business. He was also someone you didn't want to mess with. Mr. Jax almost fired his secretary when she forgot to add sugar to his coffee.  
  
Mr. Jax responded "Yes, Mr. Granger. I need you to take a look at these photos." He pulled a few photos out from his desk drawer and laid them out on the desk.  
  
Tyson sat down in the seat in front of the desk and observed them. They were all pictures of the matches between opponents. He finished observing them and turned back to Mr. Jax. "What about them, they look fine; there isn't anything wrong with them."  
  
Mr. Jax sighed and said 'That's where you're right......and wrong. You see, Beyzone (the famous beyblade magazine) had finally decided to take our photos of our matches. Unfortunately, our photographer had gotten into an accident and can't use his hand."  
  
Tyson raised an eyebrow in question "And where do I fit in?"  
  
Mr. Jax's eyes glittered momentarily and he replied "Well, I figured since you are the manager, you could find a suitable person to replace our photographer for the moment."  
  
Tyson's mouth fell open and before he could object, Mr. Jax had yanked him out the door and said in one breath "Thanks-a-lot-Granger-I'll-see-that-you- get-a-raise!"  
  
Tyson crossed his arms and fumed. He caught the stares from the people at the cubicles and yelled at them "What!?"  
  
They all went back to whatever they were doing.  
  
Tyson rolled his eyes and muttered angrily "I hate my job sometimes."   
  
Mariah's POV  
  
A pink haired lady ran into the cafe and took a seat at the counter. She opened her mouth and asked "Hey, is Hilary still working on her shift?"  
  
A girl who was working at the coffee machine turned around and smiled "Hi Mariah. Hilary will be down really soon, she's almost finished with organizing the silverware."  
  
Mariah smiled and replied "Thanks Sheryl."  
  
The girl shrugged nonchalantly and turned back to the coffee machine.  
  
Mariah sighed and rubbed her forehead tiredly. She desperately needed to talk to someone, mainly her best friend Hilary Tatibana.  
  
Hilary and she had only known each other for two year, yet they both felt like they had known each other their whole life. Every time, one of them had a problem they would automatically turn to the other for help.  
  
And right now, help was exactly what Mariah needed. And a drink-but Hilary can get that for her too.  
  
"What's the matter Mar?" asked a concerned voice. Mariah glanced upward and grinned happily.  
  
"Hey Hil!" She saw her best friend plop down into the seat next to her. Hilary had changed a lot both in emotional and physical appearance (A/N: I'll go into the details later). Mariah had seen Hilary's school photos so she knew how she looked and acted.  
  
(A/N: I will now tell how Mariah and Hilary met) Mariah had met Hilary after she had moved to America for college. She had decided she needed to try some other stuff so she left the White Tigers (promising to write whenever she could) and enrolled in a college in San Francisco, California. Hilary had been her roommate and the girls had become tight after she (Hilary) gave Mariah some of her lunch when she was hungry. Now, they lived in the same apartment and would help each other go job hunting. Hilary had managed to get a part-time job at the Spring Café while Mariah was still unemployed.  
  
Hilary raised and eyebrow asked "Mariah, what's the matter?"  
  
Mariah's grin had faltered a bit but she managed to keep it in check "Nothing, well nothing big."  
  
'Liar, liar, pants on fire!' Mariah's conscience sang in her mind.  
  
'Shut up!' She mentally yelled back.  
  
Hilary said more insistent "It is big, I saw your grin falter, your grin hardly ever falters unless you're really upset or something."  
  
Mariah's grin now completely and she sighed "You're right, as usual. Something big did happen."  
  
Hilary had worry lines etched onto her forehead she asked again "What happened?" She took a sip of her tea she had gotten.  
  
"I'm going to meet my friend Ray." As soon as she finished saying Hilary spit her tea, spraying the counter.  
  
"Oh crap!" She moved to get some tissues and wiped the counter.  
  
She turned back to Mariah after she had finished and asked in an incredulous voice "You know Ray? As in Ray Kon?!"  
  
Mariah blinked in surprise and questioned "Yeah? Why do you ask?! Do you know Ray or something?"  
  
Hilary had never really told much if her past to Mariah. Well, she did tell her all the facts and stuff, but she never said anything about her friends. As far she knew, Mariah seemed to be Hilary's only friend (though she knew that couldn't be true). She (Mariah) felt a bit put out sometimes that she didn't know the social part of Hilary's life, but never asked her because she never told her about her love part of her life.  
  
"Um........sorta, you see, I met him in Middle School and we lost contact with each other after High School." Hilary looked a bit uncomfortable after saying that.  
  
Mariah on the other hand, had a shocked face. Hil had known Ray? And she had never told her? How did she know him?  
  
Mariah quickly became suspicious and asked her sharply "How well did you know him? Did you ever go out with him or something?!"  
  
Hilary looked surprised at her question and began laughing. Mariah was beginning to get angry but she relaxed when she heard Hil respond to her question.  
  
"God, of course not! The day that I date Ray is the day Kai wears a pink dress with bows-in other words, not going to happen." Mariah cracked a smiled and chuckled along with Hil as they imagined Kai wearing a dress.  
  
Suddenly, another thought hit her and she turned to Hil and asked again "You know Kai? How? Does that mean you know all the Blade breakers?"  
  
Hil immediately stopped laughing and sighed "Look, I........um, I'll tell you all the details someday, but right now, I'm not exactly comfortable right now. Tell me though, how do you know Ray?"  
  
Mariah could see that Hil changed the subject on purpose but didn't comment on it "He and I used to beyblade together. We also grew distant with each other. I had a sort of crush on him. Luckily that's changed." Mariah blushed when she mentioned the crush part but it vanished when she said it had 'changed'.  
  
Hil smiled and asked excitedly "So? Give me all the details, I want to know how and when you're going to meet him!"  
  
Mariah smiled and started "Well, let's see. It all started when I saw the Job Ad........" 

Flashback  
  
ah was skimming through the Job Ads in the newspaper. Hilary had already left at 8:00 and had left Mariah some bacon, eggs, milk, and coffee on the table for her to eat.  
  
"Now let's see......ah! Here we go!" Mariah spotted a good ad and read it out loud.  
  
"$98 for a month! Not much experience necessary! You just need to know how to handle beyblades and a broom! Woohoo!" Mariah danced around the room in happiness. She calmed down after a couple of minutes and called for an appointment.  
  
"You danced around the in 11:00 A.M! Mariah, you have a lot of energy!" Hil exclaimed.  
  
"No interrupting Hil." Mar reminded her. She hadn't even been halfway through, and the girl was already talking!  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"It's okay."

  
  
Mariah walked to the front of the door. She had phoned the building and the secretary had answered. She had managed to get an appointment at precisely 2:30.  
  
"Excuse me; I'm here for my appointment?" She asked the secretary. The secretary lifted her head from the computer and smiled. Mariah immediately felt at ease, this girl had a friendly air around her. She had light brown hair and brown eyes (A/N: Sound familiar?).  
  
"Ah yes, Ms. Mariah Hiroshi I presume (A/N: I'm very bad with Japanese and Chinese last names but just bear with me okay?)? He'll see you right now."  
  
Mariah smiled and thanked her. She opened the door and saw Gene Jax staring at her.  
  
"Who's Gene Jax? And what kind of name is that?!" Hil asked scandalous.  
  
Mariah shook her head continued.  
  
"Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was.................."   
  
"Hello Ms. Hiroshi, please take a seat." He gestured his hand towards the chair in front of him.  
  
Mariah sat in the chair and stiffened slightly under the cool gaze of Mr. Jax. She immediately realized she would have to be very careful around him if she wanted that job.  
  
"Hello Mr. Jax, pleasure to see you." She shook his hand as he responded.  
  
"The pleasure is all mine." His faced was still held impassive even as he gave compliments!  
  
He cleared his throat and asked her "Now that we've made the introductions, I suggest we get to business. I want you to tell me why you think you should have this job, mention all other experiences you have had in the past."  
  
Mariah blink and asked surprised "But I though the ad said not much experience was okay!"  
  
Mr. Jax explained "The ad said not much experience was fine. We'd still like to know if you've done anything concerning beyblades or other sports and such."  
  
Mariah sighed and racked her mind for memories "Well let's see, I begun beyblading when I was pretty young. I was taught by a superb blader (A/N: Kawaii! You can just see Mariah's face as she describes Ray!). I was in the White Tigers team and I-"  
  
"Wait, hold on, you were in the White Tigers team?!" Mariah saw Mr. Jax get a surprised look in his eye. Yay, she made him surprised!  
  
"Good work Mar!"  
  
"Shush Hil."  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Well yeah I've known my teammates since I was a child. We grew up together and-Mr. Jax, what are you doing?" Mr. Jax had begun searching through his desk drawers and had produced a picture. He shoved it in her face.  
  
"This you and your team?" Mariah was shocked; it was a picture of the White Tigers with Ray! She remembered when the picture was taken. It was a sunny day in the village and the team decided to take a picnic (A/N: This was when Ray was still with them!). They had taken a picture after the picnic. Mariah had no idea where Mr. Jax could have gotten it.  
  
"Whe-where'd you get that!?" She made a leap for that picture and grabbed it.  
  
Mr. Jax chuckled and answered "Ray and I are good acquaintances/friends. He's mentioned his team and said some things about all of you. He showed me that picture and gave me one since he said he had two copies. He and I have a lunch appointment scheduled at 1:30 at the Olive Garden. Would you like to join us? Perhaps you two can catch up on old times."  
  
"That sounds like a great idea Mariah! What did you say to that suggestion?"  
  
"Hil?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Humph!"  
  
"Thank you. Now....................."  
  
Mariah blinked and exclaimed "I'd love to! Does that mean I get the job?"  
  
Mr. Jax said "Of course. I can see you're very qualified for this job. But you still have to join me and Ray for lunch."  
  
Mariah grinned and "I'm honored to have lunch with you two. See you at 1:30." She got up and left the room with a happy expression on her face.  
  
Yes, today was just so great! She had gotten a great job and she was going to meet Ray!  
  
Flashback Ended  
  
that's great Mariah! You got the job AND the lunch! You're so lucky!" Hil exclaimed after Mariah finished.  
  
Mar sighed frustrated and explained/exclaimed "You don't understand you do! I was an idiot for thinking having lunch with my boss and Ray! I mean, I'm glad I get to see him, but what if I mess up or something, we haven't seen each other in a really long time after all. He might've really changed and won't like me or something!" She finished and looked at Hilary.  
  
Hilary now had clear understanding across her face mixed with the right amount of sympathy. She patted her shoulder and told her gently "I'm sorry Mar; I wish I could do something for you, anything to make you feel better."  
  
Mariah was about to tell her not to be sorry, when she felt a light bulb flash in her head "You can help Hil! Why don't you come along with me to lunch for moral support or something." She noticed Hil was about to object gently so she quickly continued "I mean, you don't have to talk to anyone just stay near me and encourage me so I don't mess up!"  
  
Hilary sighed and said "Oh okay. But only on one condition."  
  
Mar said "Anything. As long as it doesn't include me dancing with a hula hoop."  
  
Hil smiled "I get to pick what I want to wear."  
  
Mariah chewed her lip in a thoughtful way. Thing was, Hil had a casual/weird dress code thing going on and Mariah knew her boss was going to have a fit if she went to the restaurant wearing a sundress with jeans.  
  
"Well..........okay, but it has to be at least a little formal. Remember, I told you my boss was a little strict." Mar reminded her.  
  
Hilary ginned and they pinky shook "Deal."  
  
Chapter One Ends..............To Be Continued  
  
Note: What do you think? I think I might have Tyson and Hilary meet in the next chapter. Or I can just torture you Ty/Hil fans and have you wait until a couple of chapters. HAHA! I'll introduce the rest of the OCs and other characters later.  
  
What to Expect In the 2nd Chapter:  
  
1. More humor  
  
2. How the lunch went  
  
3. Learn more of Hilary  
  
4. Learn why she hasn't been in contact with the gang  
  
5. Watch Tyson interview weird candidates for the photographer substitute  
  
Okay, that's all for now! Press the button at the bottom and write something. I'll accept any type of review, but if you flame, tell why you flamed. Otherwise, I'll label you an idiot. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'm going to go straight to work on my other stuff. Adios Amigos! 


	2. The Meet

**Note:** Thanks a lot for the reviews you guys! I was pleasantly shocked when I saw I had gotten 6 reviews for one chapter! And from such cool authors! Well, except for Gibby (I like the name!) who doesn't write fics. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I think my quick edit is working because my other fic (Everlasting Falls) who's 2nd chapter is posted, has all the bold and italics (just not the stars). Enjoy!  
  
**Disclaimer:** I've already done one for the first chapter so this is useless.  
  
**Chapter Two:** The Meet  
  
**Hilary's POV  
**  
She checked herself one last time in the mirror.  
  
Hilary was wearing a blue collared shirt with a pair of blue pants. She wasn't exactly looking forward to this lunch thing, but she couldn't exactly refuse when her best friend had asked her.  
  
And besides, the past was past right? No use being still being hung up on something that happened a long time ago. Hilary smiled reassuringly to herself and went downstairs where Mariah was calling to make sure it was okay for one extra friend to come.  
  
Hil sat on the bottom of the stairs where she waited for Mariah to finish talking on the phone.  
  
"Thanks, I really appreciate it."  
  
Mariah put the phone down and turned to Hilary.  
  
"Well?" Hil asked. She wanted to know whether she was going or not.  
  
Mar smiled and answered "You're allowed to come! How awesome is that?!" Before Hilary could stop her, Mariah had run to her and hugged Hil really tight.  
  
_'Pretty awesome I guess. As long Ray's not **too** shocked.'_ Hilary silently said to herself as she tied to ignore the lack of oxygen she was suffering from Mariah's hug.  
  
**Ray's POV**  
  
"So who are these girls who are joining us for lunch?"  
  
Ray had just arrived at Olive Garden on the clock and saw Mr. Jax waiting for him patiently at one of the tables by the window. He walked up to him and slid into a seat. All the while, asking him about the two other people who would be joining them for lunch.  
  
He had just gotten a phone call form Mr. Jax saying that a couple of girls would be joining them.  
  
Now Ray wasn't the type of person to be annoyed or angry over such a stupid thing. After all, it was just two girls right?  
  
But things were getting rather stressing. Ray was known as one of the most eligible bachelors in all of California. All the ladies would ignore the fact that he was engaged for two weeks and still send him many, many love letters. Some girls would even be spotted spying on him at work. These girls probably tried to get Mr. Jax to let them have lunch with him.  
  
Though luckily, he didn't have as stalkers and admirers as Kai.  
  
Mr. Jax rolled his eyes and answered "Relax Kon, for your information, these girls aren't one of your many stalkers."  
  
Ray asked "What makes you sure? For all you know, these girls could have disguised themselves to look harmless, but they're really blood sucking STALKING VAMPIRE GIRLS!" He shouted the last part so loud that the whole restaurant froze and stared at him.  
  
Mr. Jax coughed apologetic and said to the restaurant "Carry on."  
  
It seemed that no matter where he was, Jax still had the power to have anyone do anything he commanded. The restaurant went back to order.  
  
He turned to Ray and said "Okay, Mr. Paranoid Guy....stop it! It just so happens these girls aren't going to suck your blood. And one of them is an old friend of yours and works for me! I invited her! And she invited another girl-who I don't know anything about, but she seemed fine from the way your old friend described her."  
  
It took a moment to fully let it sink in, but Ray eventually got it. He questioned "Old friend? That's weird; I don't think I had any friends who were girls. And what do you mean she works for you?"  
  
Jax answered "She's working as a beytester/janitor person. She tests the beyblades after teams are done with practice to make sure they're still in top condition. And she also cleans the stadiums and such. (A/N: I'm making this up okay!)" He stopped in smug silence.  
  
"Ohhh..............I still have no clue who they are." Ray said shortly.  
  
Jax opened his mouth and was about to say something, but stopped as the sound of a door opening was heard and turned to the source of noise.  
  
Ray also turned. To say he was shocked was an understatement. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes had expanded twice their size. He was slightly aware that he heard Jax say something to him.  
  
"Those are the girls who will be joining us for lunch Kon."  
  
It was Mariah! And, some other girl who looked only slightly familiar.  
  
**Mariah's POV**  
  
Now, Mariah was never one to be surprised. She had been angry, happy, sad and was only rarely shocked. Surprised was out of the question.  
  
But when she saw how Ray was looking at her, she just stopped for a moment. Then blinked and approached the table while focusing her eyes on Mr. Jax. He probably didn't tell who exactly was going to join them for lunch.  
  
That guy had some twisted sense of humor.  
  
Mariah said to Mr. Jax "Hey Mr. Jax. How's everything going? I hope we aren't too late or anything. The traffic was horrible."  
  
Mr. Jax shook his head in understanding and replied "You're not that late Ms. Hiroshi. Just 3 minutes. In fact I'm surprised you didn't show up later. I could see and hear the cars from everywhere outside. Take a seat." He gestured to the seat across them (A/N: It was a 4 seat table. Ray and Jax are sitting in two seats beside each other).  
  
Mariah sighed in relief and she and Hilary moved to sit when they heard a voice and froze.  
  
"What's your friend's name?" Ray asked, finally coming out of his shock. He now had that old face of inner calm and goodness on his face.  
  
Mariah smiled and said "This is my friend Hilary."  
  
**Ray's POV**  
  
He was observing the girls as they talked to Jax.  
  
His eyes immediately drifted to Mariah first. She had changed, not that much, but enough to be certainly noticeable.  
  
Her pink hair had gotten a bit darker and she no longer put any ribbons or anything but let it loose. But she still wore white and pink. She wore a pink long sleeved shirt with white pants. He could tell she hadn't changed much.  
  
Ray's eyes shifted to the girl beside her. Now Ray didn't know exactly who she was, but she did look familiar to him. Almost as if she was someone he knew long ago, but forgot. She had long dark brown hair that reached to her waist. It was straight and framed her face. There were also ruby eyes on her face. Okay, now she looked really familiar. It was like her face had lit a candle in his head, but had not fully turned to fire since he still couldn't remember who she was.  
  
"What's your friend's name?" He asked. And he got an answer.  
  
Ray saw Mariah smile one of those heart melting smile and say "This is my best friend Hilary."  
  
Hilary. The name seemed to light up another candle in his head. But still no fire. Ray mentally shook his head and introduced him and Jax.  
  
"Nice to meet you both. I haven't seen you in a long time Mariah! Time really flies fast, doesn't it? Anyway, this is my friend/boss Mr. Jax. He told me you were working for him. And it's nice to meet you to Ms. Hilary. I'm Ray Kon." He held out his hand for her to shake.  
  
It looked like she let out a silent breath of relief and hesitantly shook his hand. Ray was a bit confused. Why did she look so hesitant? It was almost as if she didn't trust him that much. But....why?  
  
**Hilary's POV**  
  
He didn't seem to recognize her. She two felt different things when she made that conclusion.  
  
One part was relieved. If he didn't seem to remember her, then maybe the others wouldn't either (in case she met them). They were all still probably hung up on her 'replacement' that they forgot all about her. And that would make it all the more easier for her to pretend she didn't know him or them as well.  
  
Another part of her was hurt. Even though it had been a long time, he should have at least remembered her name. And though she hadn't known him as well as Kenny and Tyson (she almost winced as she thought of the name), they were still good friends.  
  
She let out a breath of relief and hesitated to shake his hand for a moment. He had after betrayed (along with all the others) her a long time ago. And even though his betraying didn't hurt as much as a certain bluenette's, he did hurt her just the same.  
  
But.....if he didn't remember, then neither should she (well, at least pretend to). She shook his hand and put on a small smile "It's a pleasure to meet you. Mariah told me you two grew up together and had been close friends. I've heard all sorts of things about you."  
  
Ray raised an eyebrow and said "Hopefully they're good things." He playfully said as he grinned at Mariah.  
  
Mariah rolled her eyes and replied "Of course they are. What, you think I'd tell them about the time you almost......" She was about to continue but stopped when she heard Ray cough and interrupt.  
  
"Yes well, let's hope you didn't tell too many embarrassing experiences. You know such as when you were......." He continued to tell many hilariously stories.  
  
And Hilary found herself laughing with all the others as she heard of her friend's experiences. And some of Ray himself.  
  
She only wished she could've been this happy forever.  
  
**Tyson's POV**  
  
Tyson was in a bad mood. Correction, he looked like a combination of Bryan and Kai when they're tired, angry, and brooding all at once.  
  
He sat at his desk and rubbed his forehead tiredly. He had been interviewing candidates for a replacement photographer. And so far, he had come across ones that had no chance whatsoever.  
  
**Flashback**

****  
  
_Tyson was waiting for the fist candidate. He quickly checked his watch and saw that the candidate was already 5 minutes late. He sighed and turned his head up when he heard the door open.  
  
He almost gaped at who was at the door but quickly shut it and greeted him.  
  
"Hello Mr. Keller."  
  
The guy just grunted in response. Tyson was immediately scared. This guy looked liked some gang member or something.  
  
He had to weigh at least 200 pounds! And he was wearing black baggy pants, a black vest over a black shirt and a bandanna on his head. The guy practically had 'gang' written all over him.  
  
Tyson gulped and gestured to the seat in front of him. "Please, take a seat."  
  
Keller grunted, sat in the seat (making it squeak, since he almost broke it), put his elbows on the table and looked at him square in the eye with a wild look in the eye._  
  
_Tyson's mind silently screamed 'Keller the Killer!'  
  
It was going to be long interview._ _Second candidate was just as creepy. Maybe even more. Not as scary, but just as creepy.  
  
And boy, Tyson was sure creeped out when he saw the Gay Guy talk to him.  
  
The Gay Guy was wearing a pair of really tight leather pants with a pink (another thing that creeped him out) shirt. He was weird, weird, and did I mention WEIRD?! Heck Tyson got even more freaked out as he listened to the Gay Guy as he talked in a girlish voice.  
_  
_"I like just so want this job! (Giggle giggle) I mean as soon as I saw that ad in the newspaper, I was just so, like, I am so there! Are those pants from Prada? Because I totally love that store, I mean it's just so......"  
_  
_And this is where Tyson couldn't stand the gayness of the Gay Guy that he silently asked God why he deserved this horrible-horrible-thing!_  
  
_And you really don't want to know what happened after that._

_  
_  
_Third candidate. A nun. You heard me (A/N: Well, it was more like read, but never mind.), a Jesus-worshipping-freakin-nun!  
  
No different from all the other nuns Tyson saw before. She was dressed in the usual black and white dress thingy, making her resemble a penguin.  
_  
_He's not going to even talk about what she was saying.  
  
"And it's just so nice to see you actually had time to talk to me boy! God Bless You! You look like such an angel! I wouldn't be surprised if you sprouted wings and joined Jesus! And bless that Jesus! The things he's done are just so remarkable! You should_ _hear all about them you now? Hold on, I think I have my precious bible somewhere......"  
_  
_Tyson raised an eyebrow and waited as the nun shoved a book in his hands.  
_  
_"Now turn to the first page, it tells just how the wonderful and great God first created everything. It says here in Exodus 1........."_  
  
_It was going to be a very religious and......educational interview._  
  
**Flashback Ends**  
  
Tyson didn't even want to remember all the other candidates. There was an especially creepy one that looked like he should see a psychiatrist or something. Just thinking about it gave him the shivers.  
  
He sank back into his chair and sighed.  
  
Maybe tomorrow he would find someone less scary and more......normal.  
  
Then, he would find the perfect photographer and would make such wonderful pictures the whole world would know it! And then, Mr. Jax would be so happy with him that he makes him the boss instead! And then everyone would look up to him, the kids, the adults, the teenagers, the toddlers, the preteens, the-well you get the point right? And they would show him just how much they worshipped him by putting constellation of him in the sky! And then, then........they would put a magnificent crown on his head and declare him king of the world! YES! YES!  
  
...................................Hey, a guy could dream, right?  
  
**Mariah's POV**  
  
Mariah was having a great time at lunch with Ray and Mr. Jax and Hilary. It was just so fun! Ray would occasionally make such hilarious jokes that Mariah even saw Mr. Jax laugh, and she would make up some good stories about all sorts of topics that Hilary had milk coming out of her nose! All in all, it was a very happy lunch.  
  
They quickly simmered down and Mr. Jax immediately went to other matters. Namely ones she and Hil knew nothing about. He discussed things like the economics to what sort of things your mother would cook at home. Mariah and Hil would occasionally sneak in a word or something they were remotely interested in, but otherwise they just let Ray handle everything.  
  
But the next topic Mr. Jax talked about was something Mariah wasn't the least but prepared to hear. Because, oh, it was just so shocking!  
  
"So Kon?" He finally asked as he turned his head to Ray.  
  
"Yes Jax?" Ray also turned his head to Mr. Jax (Hil and she had were also staring curiously at him).  
  
"How's the wedding planning going so far? I mean, after all, your wedding is coming up in a month or something right?"  
  
She was speechless. And Hil was probably as well (she couldn't see her, even at the corner of my eye). You would be as well if you heard the conclusion that came into my head.  
  
Ray was engaged. The glass I held in my hand slipped. I didn't care.  
  
**Ray's POV**  
  
He stared at Jax after he asked that question. What..........?  
  
Then it clicked. Wedding planning. Wedding comes in a month.  
  
"Oh. Well, we're making progress with the plans. Sometimes Salima would go shopping with Lola for some things together, other times we' go with each other. We've already got the caterer, the priest, the-"  
  
"What?"  
  
Ray stopped talking when he heard a voice say something. He turned to the source and his expression immediately shifted from talkative to shocked and guilty.  
  
Mariah was looking at him with hurt and anger in her eyes.  
  
**Mariah's POV**  
  
It was unbelievable. Just unbelievable.  
  
They had grown up together. They had been on the same team. They had been through so much together. And yet he never told her!  
  
She stood up form her chair and stared at him, not caring about how many people were staring. She just stood there and let her eyes tell him everything.  
  
Then, she walked out. It was just too painful. Too be friends with someone for such a long time, but quickly forgotten so much that he didn't even tell her about his engagement.  
  
Mariah walked briskly on the sidewalk and headed to the apartment to clear her head.  
  
Perhaps a nice drink of tea would help.  
  
**Hilary's POV**  
  
Hilary stared as Mariah walked out. Ouch. She was obviously very hurt.  
  
A rush of emotions immediately hit her. Sympathy for her friend, anger towards Ray, and sadness for herself.  
  
She got up and said "I'd better see if she's okay."  
  
She didn't spare a glance at Ray' expression.  
  
**Tyson's POV  
**  
Tyson took a sip of his coffee and rubbed his forehead yet again.  
  
He had gone through another 5 candidates who were even weirder than the first. Tyson heard the door open and looked up to see who it was. The rest of the candidates wouldn't show up until tomorrow, so who was it?  
  
A sexy woman strolled to him and asked in a sultry voice "It's nice to finally have time with you hun." She move to the back of his shoulders and gave him a shoulder massage.  
  
Tyson smiled and relaxed form her touch. She always did know how to get him.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just been so busy at work and things." He apologized.  
  
The woman smirked and said "Don't worry about it. As long as I get to spend time with you I'm happy."  
  
He leaned farther back into the chair and let her fingers go form his shoulders to his temple.  
  
"Thanks Alicia. I'm glad to have a girlfriend like you."  
  
"Of course you are pumpkin."  
  
**Chapter Two Ends...............To Be Continued**  
  
**Note:** I am so sorry for all those people who wanted to have Hilary and Tyson meet in this chapter! I really did try to make them meet, but I couldn't find a suitable timing unless I put it in another chapter. But I did develop the plot a bit so it makes it a bit more interesting.  
  
**What to Expect In the 3rd chapter:**  
  
1. Hilary comfort Mariah and have some questions answered about Mariah's feelings for Ray.  
  
2. A confrontation with Mariah and Ray (will she forgive him?)  
  
3. Have Hilary meet Tyson (definite this time)  
  
4. Learn a little bit more about why she hasn't been in contact  
  
5. Tyson finds a photographer  
  
Hope this chapter wasn't too bad! Thanks for taking time to read. Please review! AN I'm really sorry if you found anything offensive in here. I have nothing agianst nuns or gay men, I just had to resolve to crude humor. And this chapter was a page shorter than the first one. I'm gonna make it up to you guys though. The 3rd chap. will be longer so don't fret.


	3. The Confrontation

**Note:** Hey everyone thanks for reviewing again. I posted my two prologues for my other stories; check them out if you haven't already! I can't believe I got so many reviews for only a chapter from those two. Anyway, hope you enjoy the 3rd chapter of Love Again. Review!

**Chapter Three: The Confrontation** ****   
  
**Hilary's POV**  
  
She knocked on the apartment door (she would've just used her keys, but she had to be sure she was there.)  
  
Hilary had walked to the apartment since she knew that would be the first place Mariah would go to.  
  
There was a sound of a scuffle and the doorknob being turned open. A gold eye peeked in and sighed in relief before fully opening the door.  
  
Hilary walked in and listened to Mariah as she led her to the couch.  
  
"Thank god it's you; I thought for sure it was someone else." Mariah sunk into the couch and sighed.  
  
Hilary plopped next to her and asked concerned "Are you okay Mariah? You walked out there was looking so hurt I felt like punching Ray."  
  
Mariah giggled (though it looked like she had been crying a bit since her eyes were red) and said "Relax Hil, I'm okay. And you don't need to punch Ray in the nose." She sobered a bit and looked a teensy bit grim.  
  
"I'd like to though."  
  
Hilary shuddered a bit at the tone of Mar's voice and tried to soothe her "Don't get angry Mariah. I'm sure he just forgot to tell you on accident. I mean you guys haven't been in contact with each other in years. Things change!"  
  
If only she didn't have to tell herself that everyday as well.  
  
Mariah looked at her and exclaimed "That's still not a very good excuse Hilary! He can't just forget to invite me to his wedding! And he already proposed to her! I don't even know the girl! He didn't tell me anything about her. Even if my infatuation with him as ended way back, I'm still hurt as a friend. And we've gone through so much together."  
  
She just laid down and propped her feet on Hilary's thighs while her head rested on the arm of the couch. Mariah looked like she was feeling stressed out so Hilary didn't have the heart to protest.  
  
'_So have Tyson and me Mariah, so have we._' Hilary thought.  
  
**Tyson's POV**  
  
He walked through the park looking slightly dejected. Though going out with Alicia was fun last night, it still didn't lift his mood when he had to interview other talent less (and creepy) people who wanted the job.  
  
Tyson sat on the bench and watched all the people talk and the kids play. He had visited the San Francisco Park (AN: I'm making the name up since I haven't been to San Francisco for a very long time!) often because there were a lot of trees and it was sunny. A nice place to just sit and relax.  
  
Tyson noticed a lady with long brown hair out of the corner of his eye. She was eating a hot dog and sitting on the grass while taking pictures of the trees and people with her camera.  
  
He approached cautiously from behind. He tapped her shoulder and asked attentively "Excuse me miss?"  
  
The woman turned around and he was greeted by a pair of ruby eyes.  
  
Really familiar ruby eyes..............  
  
**Ray's POV**  
  
He leafed through the yellow pages.  
  
"Mariah Hillman, Mariah Himalayas (Himalayas!?), Mariah...........ah! Here we go, Mariah Hiroshi!" He was about to pick up the phone and call when he heard the doorbell ring.  
  
Ray groaned and got up to open the door. He was greeted by a man with blue eyes and blond hair and a woman with blue hair and green eyes.  
  
"Max! Merriam! What are you two doing here?" Ray asked surprised.  
  
Max grinned and asked "Is that any way to greet a friend?"  
  
Ray looked a bit sheepish and replied "Sorry, I've just been busy doing stuff and wasn't expecting any visitors. Come in though!" He let them in and guided them to the living room.  
  
Merriam looked around and turned back to Ray with her eyebrow raised "Busy huh? I suspect this doesn't have anything to do with your upcoming wedding though. Looks like you were trying to make a mess of things."  
  
It was true. There were books strewn all over the floor. Half finished meals were everywhere. The whole thing looked like trash.  
  
Ray scratched his head and answered indignantly "I was not trying to make a mess of things! If you must know, I was trying to find Mariah's address in the yellow pages."  
  
Max asked confused "Why mess everything up then? And what do you mean, Mariah?!" He and Merriam both circled Ray, making him feel like he was getting ganged up on.  
  
This will take a long time to explain.  
  
After all, how do you explain you met up with an old friend you haven't contacted in over 6 years and mistakenly forget to tell her you're getting married?!  
  
**Hilary's POV**  
  
She sucked in some air and just sat there, staring.  
  
It was him.  
  
Of course, how could it not be?! He still had that gorgeous blue hair and those entrancing dark brown eyes. Though he also looked really different. He was wearing a suit and had no cap on.  
  
Maybe it wasn't him.  
  
"Tyson." She whispered quietly, almost trying to convince herself that it really was him.  
  
He blinked and leaned down closer "Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that."  
  
She shook her head and stood up "Nothing. I just-never mind. Um, do you need something sir?" She asked with a confused expression.  
  
Tyson (if it really was him) answered a bit slowly and curiously "Actually yes. I just wanted to know if I could see your pictures for a minute." He stared curiously at the pile of photos in her hand.  
  
She blinked and then handed over her photos.  
  
"Okay......" Hilary trailed off uncertainly as he looked through them.  
  
Why would he want to see them?  
  
**Third Person's POV**  
  
"Okay, let me get this straight." Merriam finally said after Ray had done talking.  
  
He had just used up 30 minutes explaining why he had faked sick from work for two days and why it his house looked like a pigsty. Ray had told them about meeting Mariah and all that other stuff. He was a bit tired after talking so much that he sunk into the couch and just listened to Merriam.  
  
"You met your old teammate Mariah, who you haven't been in contact with and had no idea about what she's been doing these last 6 or 7 years and vice versa in the Olive Garden (which may I add, is a superb restaurant!) with some other unfamiliar girl who's only half as important. You find out she's going to work at the same place as you under the same boss. Then, you mistakenly let out you're getting married to your long time girlfriend Salima. Mariah had no idea since you never bothered to tell her so she rushed out of the restaurant hurt and angered. Her other friend, Hilary followed her and now you're trying to find her address so you can come up with a full front apology and have her forgive you for your betrayal." Merriam finished and took a deep breath.  
  
"Wow, Ray, you are in big doodoo." Max remarked as he popped a potato chip into his mouth and added "And Merriam, you have a good memory."  
  
Ray rolled his eyes and retorted "I think we've already established that Max, which reminds me.............why are you two here in the first place? Kenny informed me you two were going to that Topaz restaurant to celebrate Merriam's raise. Why are you in my apartment then?"  
  
Max blushed and looked a bit sheepish as Merriam glared at him. She answered, while still keeping her eyes on his face "Well, Lover Boy over here forgot to make reservations. So we ended up being kicked out when he tried to 'bribe' his way in."  
  
Max indignantly responded "Well, you said that people do that all the time! In fact, you were the one who suggested it!"  
  
Merriam exclaimed "Well, I never said you had to offer $1,000! And for your information, you threatened him with a banana after he wouldn't accept the money! What kind of guy threatens a guy with fruit?!" She threw her hands up in the air and looked at him with the 'look'.  
  
Max sputtered while trying to come up with some good comebacks. He and Merriam kept arguing while Ray just kept checking his watch. Finally, he was getting impatient.  
  
"You guys! What about my problem?!" He finally interrupted after Merriam hurled an insult at Max. They both seemed to be coming to an end with their argument as they both seemed a little tired (but just a little bit).  
  
Merriam coughed and apologized "Sorry Ray, we didn't mean to just forget you and your problem."  
  
He accepted it "Its okay."  
  
"Good then." Merriam added as she sat up straighter "Now Ray, about your problem. I do think that apologizing as soon as you can is a good idea, but exactly how are you going to apologize? I mean, after you ring the doorbell to the apartment.........exactly what are you going to say after she lets you in?"  
  
Ray shrugged and answered "I don't know, I never really thought about that. I just figured that when I saw her, I'd just know what to do and say."  
  
Max chuckled and said "Oh Ray that never works. Believe me, I speak from experience. And speaking from experience is the best kind of advice you can get." He gave him Ray a thumbs up.  
  
Ray raised an eyebrow "Okay......why does that sound like bad advice to me?" He questioned.  
  
"Cause it probably is?!" Merriam answered as Max glared at her "Anyway, don't worry my friend, because if there's one thing I know it's that I, Merriam, will not lead you wrong!" She took up an 'I will lead you to victory' stance.  
  
"I didn't know that."  
  
"Well....you're blonde! And you're my boyfriend! So......you never ask me for anything! Well you shouldn't at least!"  
  
**Third Person's POV**  
  
Tyson looked at the pictures amazed.  
  
They were astounding. She had taken pictures of everything at the park. There were pictures of kids, adults, trees, flowers, and lots of other things.  
  
"You took pictures of these? And by yourself?" He asked in an awed voice.  
  
Hilary scratched her head and said "Yes. I've been taking pictures for a long time and usually without help or anything. Taking photos has sort of become a hobby of mine. Plus, I really like. You know, capturing a special moment for life, that sort of thing." She stared uncertainly at him as he looked through the rest of the pile.  
  
Hilary loved those pictures, and couldn't really take criticism that well, but she also always had to know what others thought of her photos whenever someone wanted to see them "So.....what do you think of them? Good or bad?" She asked while biting her lip.  
  
He finally looked up and answered with happiness laced through his tone "Miss, though I don't know you, I have a generous offer for you."  
  
She asked curiously "What is it?" She placed her hands on her lap and waited for an answer.  
  
(AN: Here's how they're positioned, Hilary is on the ground with her legs crossed and looking up at Tyson, who is standing in front of her and looking down at Hilary.)  
  
"My name is Tyson Granger (her heart skipped a beat) and I work at the BBA. Beyzone's going to have our pictures of our matches in its magazine. Unfortunately, our photographer got injured in an accident and can't use his arm. How would you like to substitute for him?" He waited patiently as it sunk in.  
  
Hilary's mouth popped open, then closed it. Working for the BBA! And getting to take pictures of Beyblade matches! There was only one question.......................  
  
"How much do I get paid?" She asked as she stood up so they were eye to eye.  
  
He chuckled, leaned in, and whispered something in her ear.  
  
Tyson stepped back and watched amused as her eyes expanded twice their size, then a huge smile appeared on her face and she grasped his hand.  
  
"Sir, my name is Hilary Tatibana and I would love to take the job."  
  
Though his mind was crowded with thoughts of happiness, in a very deep and hidden corner, that name lit up a faint and distant memory in his mind.  
  
A memory that he couldn't see nor remember, but felt its presence.  
  
**Ray's POV  
**  
"Mariah, look, I am dreadfully sorry and I sincerely beg of you forgiveness." Ray stood on one knee and looked up into the eyes of a woman.  
  
"Oh Ray, of course I forgive you!" A high pitched voice from the woman said.  
  
Ray smiled and said "Thank you Mariah. I'm so glad to have a friend like you." He stood up and shook her hand.  
  
"CUT!"  
  
They both groaned and the woman turned around to face Max "What's the problem now?! We rehearsed several times already and you keep finding flaws in everything!"  
  
Max shrugged and argued "What can I say!? First of all, Merriam, Mariah sounds nothing like that! Second.......Ray you looked at the notes like 5 times already! How are you going to apologize to Mariah if you can't even apologize properly?!" He placed a hand on hip and waited for an answer.  
  
Merriam had come up with the idea of rehearsing and practicing what Ray should say when he meets Mariah. Max and she had written down some tips and words that might help him on some index cards. Then, they had rehearsal and Merriam had substituted for Mariah for Ray when he said his apology.  
  
So far, they had practiced at least 10 times and Max the 'Director' had been saying the overuse of the word 'cut' many, many, many times.  
  
"Well, it's hard!" Ray exclaimed "You guys sure wrote a lot of things on these pieces of paper and I've been trying to take it all in! You know what? I've just thought of something!" He faced both Merriam and Max.  
  
They both simultaneously asked "And what's that?!"  
  
"I am going to march into that apartment!" He answered as stared determinedly.  
  
They both shouted in enthusiasm "And!?"  
  
"I will face her!" He answered as his fist rose into the air.  
  
"AND!?" They yelled/asked.  
  
"AND I WILL MAKE HER FORGIVE ME!" He yelled back.  
  
"YEAH!" They both yelled in approval and they moved their hands to handshake him with.  
  
And he walked out on them as he headed to face his challenge.  
  
**Mariah's POV**  
  
"Mariah, you'll never guess what happened!" Hilary immediately exclaimed as soon as she opened the door. She stood in front of her with an excited and happy smile on her face.  
  
"Um, you got a promotion from being a janitor to a waitress?" Mariah asked as she sat up straight (Mariah was still laying on the couch) and faced her.  
  
She shook her head and said "No! Even better, I got a new job!" Hilary started jumping up and down with that still happy face.  
  
"What is it?" She asked with a hint of grumpiness in her voice. Mariah was just trying to sulk in peace, but no, Hilary just had to go and disturb her!  
  
Mariah instantly felt guilty after she had thought that. She had absolutely no reason to be angry at her, after all, Hilary had tried to make her feel happier earlier (even though it didn't really work) and she should try and do the same thing.  
  
Luckily, she didn't think Hilary noticed as she answered with enthusiasm "I got a job at the BBA! I'm their official photographer! My pictures of the matches with get posted into Beyzone! Plus, I get paid thousands for the job! Certainly enough to pay for the rent and lots of other things as well!" She finally lost some energy and stopped jumping but still had a huge smile on her face.  
  
"Oh my god, that's great! I'm so happy for you Hil!" A huge grin lit up on Mariah's face and she stood up and gave Hilary a hug.  
  
"I know, it is great! We'll get to see each other at work and stuff! It'll be so much fun!" Hilary hugged Mariah back while saying that.  
  
Mariah heard the doorbell and turned to face the door.  
  
"Hold on, I gotta go get that." She said as she removed herself from her friend's embrace and headed to open the doorbell.  
  
Mariah opened the door and was immediately greeted by a pair of gold eyes.  
  
"Ray......" She whispered in shock.  
  
**Hilary's POV**  
  
Mariah immediately shut the door with a slam and leaned against it, taking deep breathes with a frown on her face.  
  
"Are you okay Mar?" Hilary asked cautiously as she put her hand on Mariah's arm "And who was that?"  
  
Mariah jerked and said "Of course I am! I just spaced out there for a second! I'm fine though!" She shook her head in an entirely unconvincing way.  
  
Hilary raised an eyebrow and replied "Okay.....just who was that at the door?"  
  
"No one. Just one of those kids who were also trying to prank us and stuff." Mariah shrugged.  
  
The doorbell rang again but Mariah didn't move away from her position.  
  
"Mar, I think you need to get off!" Hilary said as she pried Mariah off the door. Hilary opened the door unconcerned that Mariah was lying on the floor with a disgruntled expression. She opened the door, and before she could even see who it was, a figure zoomed in and faced Mariah.  
  
It was Ray.  
  
"Ray? What are you doing here?" Hilary asked curiously as she watched Ray look a bit nervous under the glare Mariah gave him.  
  
"Look Mariah." Ray started, as if he didn't hear her question "I just wanted to say I was sorry. I honestly didn't mean to just forget to tell you. Honest I didn't! It just....happened!" He looked at her with a pleading look on his face.  
  
Mariah snorted and exclaimed "That's not a very good excuse Ray! We grew up together and went through so much together! We were really good friends! You don't just forget to tell your really good friend that you're getting married! I didn't (and still don't!) know anything about the wedding! All I know is that you're getting married to some Salima girl who you never even bothered to tell me about!" She poked him in the chest.  
  
Hilary decided she should keep out of this and just keep her mouth shut. But that doesn't mean she couldn't at least watch the show. She quietly walked to the couch (though she didn't think they would've heard her if she sounded like a stampeding rhino) and sat on it, all the while tuning into them like the finale episode of her favorite sitcom.  
  
Ray sighed and said "I guess you're right. But Mariah! You haven't told me anything about what you've been doing these last few years as well! I didn't even know you were in San Francisco, California! Much less America! So face it, Mariah! We grew apart and stuff happened!" He threw his arms up in the air and just looked at Mariah with a helpless expression.  
  
Mariah just looked back at him with a blank expression on her face. She sighed and said.  
  
"I'm sorry; I guess you're right Ray. When you haven't been in contact with each other for a long time, things happen, and you forget about the old stuff. And it's all my fault!" She shrieked while reaching for the tissues to blow her nose with.  
  
"No Mariah, it wasn't your fault!" Ray tried to calm her down while trying to stop his own tears "It was mine!" He couldn't hold it in any longer and both began sobbing.  
  
Hilary bit her lip and tried to say something over the noise "If I may, I think I have a suggestion!"  
  
Well that certainly stopped them. They had both stopped crying for a second and faced her.  
  
"What is it?" Mariah asked.  
  
Hilary shrugged and said "Oh I don't know, how about getting reacquainted? You guys can try to spend some time together with lunch dates and stuff, finding out what's been gong these last few years. And maybe Ray, you can introduce Mariah to Salima and stuff. Maybe even invite her to the wedding!" She waited for their response.  
  
"That's a great idea!" Ray exclaimed "Thanks for the idea Ms. Tatibana!"  
  
"Please, call me Hilary. Ms. Tatibana just makes me sound weird." I said.  
  
Mariah chuckled and turned back to Ray "Well Ray, thanks for coming over to apologize, I'm glad we got to sort things and stuff. I'll see you at work!" She ushered him out the room.  
  
When she closed the door, she turned to me with a grin on her face.  
  
"I knew there was a reason why you're my best friend!" She exclaimed in happiness.  
  
Hilary raised an eyebrow. There was a faint smell of something. She couldn't quite identify it.  
  
Then, it hit her.  
  
"Mariah?" Hilary asked a bit anxiously.  
  
"Yeah Hil?" She asked back.  
  
Hilary gulped a bit before questioning "You didn't happen to put in any food in the oven did you?"  
  
"Yeah..........so what?" Mariah asked confused.  
  
"Well.........I think it's burning." She answered as she pointed a finger at the oven.  
  
And it certainly was. There was smoke peeking through the oven and you could really smell the fumes ad stuff.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Mariah screamed before the both ran to the oven.  
  
**Third Person's POV**  
  
Hilary put on the mittens and rushed to open the oven door.  
  
Mariah helped Hilary carry it (she also had mittens on) and set it on the table. She grabbed a fire extinguisher and fired it at the chicken.  
  
Soon, the extinguisher gas had vanished and all that stood of the chicken was a tine piece of a black chicken (though it was more like a chick now).  
  
Hilary picked the thing up and announced.  
  
"Mariah, there's a word we should use more often."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Take out."

**Chapter Three Ends..........To Be Continued**

****  
  
**Note:** Okay, this was 10½ pages. Hope you liked it! I realized I didn't put in any clues about why Hilary hasn't been in contact with the group (stupid me!), but I promise I'll do it next chappy. Anyway, there was also some pointless humor in this chapter, which I don't know why I put in.  
  
**What To Expect In the 4th chapter:**  
  
1. Mariah and Ray spend some quality time together.  
  
2. Hilary spends her first day at work.  
  
3. Learn more about why she hasn't been in contact.  
  
4. The plot develops slightly.  
  
Okay then, I hope you liked this chapter because I have some homework I gotta do. Sorry if Max or Merriam seem OOC! Remember to leave a review! Thanks for taking the time you read it! See ya!


	4. The Familiarity

**

* * *

Note:** Okay, I think I should answer some questions that people asked in the reviews (I just loving answering questions!) that people would probably start asking again if I didn't answer them.  
  
**Q**1: **Is Kai or Kenny in the fic?**  
  
**A**1: **Kai and Kenny will be appearing but not very soon. Since they're not that crucial to the story, you'll have to wait until like around the middle. I maybe able to squeeze them in earlier than that, but we'll have to wait and see what goes.  
**  
**Q**2: **Is Ray getting married to Salima or Lola? Because in the elevator (see chap. 1 for reference) it seemed like it was Lola but in you wrote Salima. Which one is it?  
**  
**A**2: **Okay, this might get people confused (if they didn't read the paragraphs! Just kidding, just kidding). Lola is getting married to Kenny, it says so in the 1st chapter. I'm gonna be bringing in Lola (again) and some other OCs later into the story.  
**  
And by the way, I know that Merriam is actually spelled Mariam, but I just don't feel like going through all the trouble of editing the last chapters, so I'm just gonna stick with this spelling (I'm so lazy, that I know it!). And btw, sorry if you think Tyson is way too OOC in this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Familiarity**

* * *

**Hilary's POV**  
  
Hilary twisted and turned until she finally sat up straight, her face covered in sweat.  
  
It was precisely 1:00 AM and she was dealing with the aftermath of her dumb acceptance of the offer.  
  
She was such an idiot.  
  
Hilary was feeling majorly stupid.  
  
'_Why I accepted that offer is beyond me. Now, I'll have to meet Tyson everyday, and god, I'm-I'm just so stupid!_' Hilary thought as she took deep breaths and tried to fall asleep again.  
  
She knew she wasn't ready to meet him again.  
  
Twisting and turning, trying to fall back to sleep.  
  
She ended up staying awake throughout the rest of night, dreading the morning.  
  
Why did she accept the offer? 

**Mariah's POV**  
  
Mariah used her spatula to move the pancakes away from the pan and onto the plate.  
  
"Come on Hil, I know you're nervous about this job, but if you don't eat something, you're......mom's gonna hear about this!" Mariah threatened pathetically, tapping her foot and placing the pancakes in front of the brunette.  
  
Hilary raised an eyebrow and replied sarcastically "Oh no, my mother will hear about this. My mother, who is _75_ and lives in _Bakuten_ (guess she never felt the need to move). How will I ever live?!" She put her hands on her cheek and looked Mariah with a shocked and scared expression (though Mariah knew she was mocking her).  
  
Mariah rolled her eyes and said "Whatever. Just eat something okay, you don't want to go to work with people staring at you because of your dark circles under your eyes and your stomach's rumbling every 5 minutes."  
  
Hilary sighed exasperatedly "Mariah I do not have dark circles under my eyes (do so!) and my stomach is not gonna rumble every 5- "She got cut off because her stomach rumbled like an avalanche right that second.  
  
Mariah smirked as she watched Hilary groan, then started stabbing her breakfast and shoving them down her throat.  
  
Oh she was good, she was very good.  
  
Now if only the brunette would hurry up so she could get that call from Ray.  
  
**Third Person's POV**  
  
"I don't see why you're not coming with me to the metro so you can catch the train so you can go to work!" Hilary exclaimed as Mariah searched through her closet, trying to find something suitable for her to wear (AN: Hilary's wearing her pajamas at the moment).  
  
"Because." Mariah's answer sounded a bit muffled. "My shift doesn't start until 3:00, and besides, I have lunch with Ray remember?"  
  
Hilary smiled and said "Oh yeah, are you looking forward to it?"  
  
"Of course I'm looking forward to it!" Mariah came out of the closet with a grin and clothes in her hand "Meeting with a long time and getting to know each other all over, bringing back old memories.......just rocks!"  
  
Hilary raised an eyebrow.  
  
Mariah handed the brunette the clothes "Here try this; it'll look good on you. Very professional, yet very comfy and good for a photographer."  
  
Hilary went into the bathroom to change while Mariah waited (busying herself by whistling).  
  
Then, 20 minutes later (Mariah told her to take a quick shower before she put on the clothes) Hilary came out, sporting blue pants and a gray buttoned down collar blouse with a blue petticoat over it (**AN**: I'm not very good at clothes, plus I've only seen a petticoat once in my entire life!).  
  
Mariah tilted her head and smiled in satisfaction "See, doesn't that look nice? Now, goodbye, and tell me all about what you did when you get there! Don't leave out any details and such Bye!" She was pushing Hilary out of her room and out the apartment, while saying this not even giving her the chance to say bye.  
  
Mariah leaned against the door and sighed in relief.  
  
'_Finally, thought she'd never leave._' The pink haired lady thought.  
  
The phone rang and Mariah managed to take it almost immediately.  
  
"Hello? Oh hi Ray! What's that? Oh, of course, 2:00 sounds fine, where do you want to meet? Borders sounds great! Meet you there in a couple of hours!" Mariah hung up with a grin on her face.  
  
Yep, a meeting with a long time friend would be nice.  
  
**Hilary's POV**  
  
The elevator was so slow, turtles could've moved faster.  
  
Hilary had been standing in the elevator for 10 straight minutes with 5 other people in it with her (all of whom which were either talking in their cell phones or smoking).  
  
Finally, the elevator reached the floor she wanted and the brunette flew out the elevator, sighing with relief.  
  
'_I swear, if I had to stay in there for another minute, I would've died of boredom and_ _exasperation._' Hilary thought as she walked into the room, glancing at the cubicles and people who were working very diligently.  
  
"Um excuse me?" Hilary asked when she appeared at the back of the room, seeing a light brown haired girl with brown eyes talking to a phone.  
  
The girl put the phone down and greeted Hilary with a "Hello, my name's Lola Doss, secretary. Can I help you with anything?"  
  
"Yes. Do you know where Tyson Granger mi-"The brunette got cut off as the said boy appeared beside her.  
  
"Oh hey, Ms. Tatibana, you're right on time! Come with me, I'll show you to your room." Tyson walked with Hilary following him.  
  
"Call me Hilary please. Ms. Tatibana just sounds so weird for me." Hilary said honestly.  
  
"Okay Hilary. Now, let's see. Ah, here it is." The bluenette opened the door and the two drank in the sight.  
  
"This is where you'll be taking pictures of Beyblade matches, beyblades, beybladers, Beyblade teams, and other stuff. I'll leave you to deal with the people who are in charge of the lighting and such. If you have any questions, you can find me at the room next to the big one where Jax is. Good luck!" Tyson left her to stare some more.  
  
The room was gigantic! It wasn't even really a room, more like a big spacious area with a small stage, a bunch of people playing around with the equipment, and some kids striking funny poses. Hilary was guessing this was where she would be taking those photos.  
  
"Hey, are you the new photographer?" A girl with blonde hair that was styled in a cute bob cut and cheerful blue eyes asked. "My name's Maggie Hamden by the way and I'm your assistant. If you have any questions that Mr. Granger can't answer you come to me. Plus, I give you coffee and tea and other beverages you might need."  
  
"Yes. And my name's Hilary Tatibana. Please to meet you. And don't call me Ms. Tatibana. Too old. Hilary will do fine." Hilary and Maggie both shared a chuckle.  
  
Maggie started talking to her about some of the work "Okay Hilary. Now, the kids over there are the beyblader teams. You don't need to know their names; just take individual pictures of each kid and you're free to go. It sounds easy, but it's not. You have to make sure the lighting is right, what kind of pose looks about right. Also, if they look too......um, not good in front of the camera, then you might need to have some people do their makeup or something. But don't worry; you won't be doing this all alone! There are people who'll help you with the lighting, makeup, and all sorts of other stuff!"  
  
Hilary whistled, clearly impressed. "Sounds good. Well, we better get to cracking!"  
  
Maggie nodded and hollered to the other people in the area "Okay, people, our new photographer's here so let's help her with the stuff and hope she can make great photos and work overtime with the magic!" She walked away from the brunette, going to talk to some guy who was fiddling with the lights.  
  
'_Yeah, let's work the magic!_' Hilary thought enthusiastically as she examined the camera in her hand.  
  
She wondered how Mariah was doing.  
  
**Mariah's POV**  
  
"I'll have the fried fish with steamed rice please." Ray answered as he handed the waiter his menu.  
  
"And what would your friend like sir?" The waiter asked jotting down the order as Mariah answered.  
  
"I'll have the chicken soup served with bread." She handed the waiter her menu as well and he nodded and walked away.  
  
"So Mariah, just what have you been doing these past few years?" Ray asked her with curiosity in his tone.  
  
"Oh nothing much." Mariah answered as she twirled her straw around in her drink. "I moved to San Francisco cause I got a letter from some college saying they accepted my application and would look forward to seeing me there. I was a bit sad to leave my team, but I did promise I'd write to them when I could. Anyway, I met Hilary at the college and we became best friends and moved into an apartment together. What about you?" Mariah took a sip of her water and fixed Ray with a curious look.  
  
Ray answered "Well, let's see. The Bladebreakers (I, Tyson, Kai, Max, and Kenny) won a lot of tournaments and lots of other things. We went to the same college that was in another part of California. Then, we all decided to travel a bit on our own for a while. Very coincidental, we found out that we were in the same city! And now, we've all different positions at the BBA and stayed close friends. I met Salima a month after I got the job at the BBA and we started going out. After 2 years of dating, I finally had the courage to propose to her and she accepted. Now, the marriage is in two weeks and I'm living as a happy engaged man." He stared at the ring on his finger with a smile on his face.  
  
"Wow. Sounds like you've been doing nicely." Mariah observed and they both shared a chuckle.  
  
'_This sure is nice. Taking time to hang out with a friend and just enjoying sitting with them._' Mariah thought as she smiled.  
  
The waiter appeared and put their dishes in front of them.  
  
Mariah took a sip and swallowed happily. The food was really good.  
  
The pink haired lady darted her eyes upward to be met with Ray's face for the briefest moment, before placing them down at her food again.  
  
A wave of familiarity washed over Mariah for a moment that lasted a couple of seconds.  
  
He had an extremely nice smile.......  
  
**Tyson's POV**  
  
"Here are the pictures sir." Hilary handed him the photos to look at.  
  
They were in his room. Hilary had just finished taking the pictures and while the people were putting the equipment away, she went to Tyson to give him the photos.  
  
He looked through them, clearly impressed. The pictures were really good. The kids all looked natural and the lighting hit their face just right. These pictures would have Beyzone begging to have them.  
  
"Wow, Hilary. These are super good. I can just see these in Beyzone, looking great and such. You sure did a great work." He complimented her.  
  
"You think so?!" Hilary asked, surprise filling her tone.  
  
"Of course I do. You've got a lot of talent and I am definitely looking forward to seeing more photos taken by you again." Tyson told her with a happy expression.  
  
"Well, thanks Mr. Granger. I'm glad you like the photos." The brunette told him as she sat down on the chair in front of his desk.  
  
"Please, call me Tyson." The bluenette told her to.  
  
Hilary paused, and Tyson saw a flicker of uncertainty pass through her face, though it disappeared so fast he wasn't exactly sure he was it in the first place.  
  
"Okay." The brunette started, just raising her voice an octave higher than a whisper. "It was nice working here today.......Tyson." She looked up and their eyes met.  
  
A wave of familiarity washed over him..........  
  
'_Strange. It's like I have this weird sense of déjà vu when I look into her ruby orbs. But that's not really possible, seeing as I've never seen her before._' Tyson thought as he looked at her eyes.  
  
She blinked and he returned to reality.  
  
"Um, yes well." Tyson mentally shook his head. "See you tomorrow."  
  
"Right, tomorrow. Bye!" Hilary nodded and walked away after saying bye, closing the door and disappearing from his sight.  
  
Tyson looked through the photos one more time, trying to ignore that very, very weird feeling he had.  
  
It felt oddly and vaguely like.....  
  
Familiarity.......  
  
**Third Person's POV**  
  
Hilary hummed, using her keys and opened the door, only to be greeted by an extremely weird sight.  
  
Mariah was eating popcorn in front of the television.  
  
"Oh there you are Hilary! Quick, come here!" She gestured for Hilary to join her at the couch. The brunette complied and sat down beside her.  
  
"Okay, who do think is the best all around girl in **What A Tangled Web We Weave**, the sexy Veronica, nice Margaret, or tomboy Andy?" Mariah asked her as Hilary reached for a handful of popcorn for herself.  
  
"I didn't know you watched Soap Operas Mar." Hilary said amused as she munched on her popcorn.  
  
Mariah answered. "It's not so much the Soap Operas I'm interested in, it's the impossible love positions that the characters get in. I mean, come on! The things that these Soap Operas come up with are just so hilarious!" She sniggered, popping the last popcorn (that was in her hand) into her mouth.  
  
Hilary raised an eyebrow and gave the pink haired girl a look.  
  
Mariah rolled her eyes and said "Okay, okay fine. I admit it; some of the stuff on this thing can actually be good. But I still say that none of the things that appear on TV will be on real life!" She swallowed, gulping and turning to face Hilary.  
  
"So, how was your work today? I didn't get to see you at all because of that sorry excuse for a boss kept breathing down my neck and badgering me every ten seconds. I'm surprised I actually managed to get out of that room for a drink, much less for when my day at work was finished."  
  
Hilary frowned "I don't think Mr. Jax could be that bad Mar."  
  
"I wasn't talking about Mr. Jax. I didn't even see a glimpse of that guy, he probably stayed in his room the entire day. There was this guy in the Beyblade room (that was where I was checking the beyblades, making sure they were okay and stuff) that kept bossing me around and stuff, said he was my instructor and such. If you ask me, he was just acting like an ass." Mariah grumbled.  
  
"Anyway, back to the original question: how was your day at work?" Mariah prompted.  
  
Hilary shrugged. "It was great. The people were friendly, they really listened to what you suggest and say. The last photographer must have meant a lot to them, they took his injury real hard; you should've heard what Maggie was saying about him. Anyway, I enjoyed taking the pictures, the kids were great. And that all ended with me calling Mr. Granger, Tyson." She gave a sigh here and asked.  
  
"How was your lunch with Ray?"  
  
"It was great as well. He and I talked about lots of stuff, plus the restaurant was superb! The food was great (that chicken salad was just dandy). I really liked it. Talking with Ray and getting to know each other all over was just.....well, I can certainly say I'm looking forward to lunch date or any other friend date with Ray again." Mariah smiled which Hilary gladly returned.  
  
"So anyway......who's the best all around girl? Sexy Veronica, nice Margaret, or tomboy Andy?"  
  
"..........Mariah?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I think you should just stick to sitcoms."

* * *

**Chapter Four Ends..........To Be Continued**

* * *

**Note:** Well, there you have it! A little glimpse of romance (a very little glimpse at that). You'll be getting more romance later into the story, but for now, you're just gonna have to watch the progress of friendship to relationship.  
  
**What To Expect In The 5th chapter:**  
  
**1.** Mariah and Ray spend some time at the mall.  
  
**2.** Hilary spends a day at work where interesting things happen.  
  
**3.** More of why the brunette hasn't been in contact.  
  
**4.** Plot development.  
  
See the clock up there? If it says 12:40 P.M. on it that means that I've been working on this all day and need some rest. Be happy knowing your needs come first! I'm gonna upload this thing first thing in the morning!  
  
Okies then, review please and thanks for taking time out of your life to read this thing! 


	5. The Mall

**Note: **Okay, if you haven't heard yet, I'm leaving for Manila on July 14th, so this will put my fics on a delay (you know with all the unpacking and all the other junk you have to do before settling down). And remember, if I haven't updated in months or something, it's the move and not the fact that I had given up on writing out fics (which will only happen in like 5 or 100 years!).

**The Mall**

**Third Person's POV**

"So Mar, where are you and Ray going today?" Hilary asked as she down on the couch next to a casual dressed Mariah.

"The mall. At first Ray wouldn't comply, so I had to practically beg him. And I had to beg him a lot. But eventually, he came around." The pink haired girl shared a chuckled with her friend as she double checked her outfit. "You don't think this outfit is too casual is it Hil?"

The brunette shook her head and answered "No, it looks fine. I particularly like that scarf." She smirked.

The other girl rolled her eyes "You should, seeing as it's yours in the first place."

Mariah was wearing blue denim jeans, white shirt with sleeves that reached her elbows, a pink scarf wrapped around her neck, and her pink hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Trust me; you look fine for an outing at the mall. Now, you better hurry. You were supposed meet Ray like 5 minutes ago!" Hilary glanced at the clock and eyed her friend with a 'hurry!' look.

"Huh? Oh no, see ya later Hil! I promise you give you all the details later!" Mariah stood up from the couch, ran to the door, opened it and disappeared behind it.

Hilary rolled her eyes, checked her watch, and stood up as well.

"Well work isn't for a couple more hours. I suppose I could finish up cleaning the room." Hilary seemed to be in hard thinking for a couple of minutes, before saying "Nah. I'll let Mariah do that when she comes back later."

So she pushed the remote button on and watched TV.

**Mariah's POV**

"You have to be kidding me. This is not exactly what I had in mind for the mall." Ray said, as she dragged him into a shop.

Mariah only chuckled and answered "It's not that bad Ray. Think of it this way, at least I didn't drag you to see me try on girly clothes or anything."

The black haired man sighed and said "I guess so. But still, hunting kitchen ornaments are just so…….boring."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just deal okay." She rolled her eyes and they stopped in front of a plate display.

"Okay, so do you like the one with the tree pattern or the one with the flower pattern?" She pointed to each of the plates and waited for Ray's opinion.

"Does it matter? You're gonna make me end up paying for it either way." Ray faltered a bit under Mariah's glare "Hey, don't look at me like that, I wasn't the one who was 10 minutes late!" He defensively responded.

Mariah shrugged and said "Hey, I told you that I was talking to Hil. And besides, paying for the stuff would be very gentlemanly of you of course." She batted her eyelashes and then laughed at his expression.

"I'm just kidding Ray; you don't really need to pay for it. All I'm asking for is a nice friendly shopping date. I take you to the stores, you give me the opinions, and I might actually let you have lunch with me." She winked and they both laughed.

"Well, it's a deal then." Ray hooked his arm in hers and he smiled at her.

Mariah's breath suddenly seemed to stop as she looked into his eyes.

'_Though his smile is nice, they're really nothing compared to his eyes._' Mariah thought as she looked at his golden orbs, Ray blinked and she slightly jerked.

Mariah mentally shook her head and smiled at him "Well come on, I sense a fine and high quality plate with my name somewhere."

Ray chuckled and they walked to another part of the store "And we can't keep it waiting."

Mariah nodded, though her thoughts were elsewhere.

**Hilary's POV  
**

"Now was it decaf or regular?"

Hilary tried to remember what Mr. Jax had ordered. He had originally planned to ask Ms. Doss, but she was taking the day off since she had a wedding rehearsal to attend (her own). Hilary chose that moment to walk into the office to give the pictures (since Tyson was also at the rehearsal she had to bring them personally) when Mr. Jax requested a coffee, and after all, she couldn't exactly refuse.

So here she was, in front of a big coffee machine thingy trying to remember the long and stupid order Mr. Jax had asked.

"Okay let's see." The brunette repeated the order to herself "He asked for a no fat, no foam, half a teaspoon of orange syrup, half a cup of milk, some chocolate sprinkles, and I still can't remember if it's a decaf or regular!" She ended shrilly as she banged her hand against the cool metal.

She heard an amused female voice behind her say "It was a regular. Mr. Jax only takes decaf when he feels down or something."

Hilary whipped her head around and faced a smiling Maggie. The brunette smiled back and said "Thanks Mag. You're a pal. I just don't see why Mr. Jax has to make such long and impossible orders." She pressed the buttons on the machine and waited while talking to Maggie.

"So Hil, how are you fitting in at work?" Maggie asked.

Hilary shrugged and answered "Fine. Everyone's real easy to work with, they listen to your suggestions and stuff, plus the beybladers gave me great photos." She grinned.

Maggie chuckled and shook her head "Glad you like it. And besides, I enjoy working with you as well. I mean, the old photographer was way, way older than me and didn't really have time to do anything else than do his job. Kinda like Mr. Jax." She smiled.

Hilary raised an eyebrow.

'_Is it just me, or does her smile look a bit sad and wistful?_' The brunette thought as she quickly examined her friend's smile.

"So Maggie?" Hilary asked with forced casualty, trying not to sound curious "What do you think of Mr. Jax?"

Maggie blinked and asked puzzled "Why are you asking me?"

Hilary shrugged and answered "Oh no special reason, just wanna know out of curiosity. I mean, I've only worked here for like a couple of days, but you've worked here for like 2 years. I'd just like to know what you think of him." She finished with an innocent look.

Maggie sighed and replied "Well, there's really nothing much to say about him. Mr. Jax is a very nice man. A bit uptight and strict and driven crazy with work and stuff, but other than that, there's nothing much to say about him." The blonde shrugged nonchalantly.

Hilary opened her mouth and was about to say something, but got cut off by Maggie.

"But there are more special qualities about him and such, I mean have I ever told you that Mr. Jax can be-" Maggie chattered on and on about the azure eyed man.

Inwardly, Hilary groaned.

'_This could take a while._' She concluded as the blonde went on and on.

The brunette just wished the coffee wouldn't get cold.

**Mariah's POV**

"So Ray, just what did you think of the mall so far? Good or good?!"

She and Ray were walking around the huge fountain in the center of the mall. Couples were sitting on the edge of the fountain, some on the steps, and some were just sitting on the floor, talking.

Ray shrugged "Well unless you count the time when we had to stay for an entire hour in the jewelry store just because you couldn't decide what you wanted, the time you almost had us kicked out the Japanese restaurant because you spilled water over the waitress, and the time you accidentally broke a fragile vase and made me pay for it, He took a deep breath after saying all this and continued "I had a great time at the mall Mariah." He smiled at her.

The pink haired girl soon found herself smiling back "Well, I'm glad you had a good time Ray. I haven't had this good a time at the mall since Hil and I went to buy Christmas presents."

Ray frowned in confusion and asked "Who's Hil?"

"You know, my friend. The brunette you met at lunch." Mariah informed him.

Ray blinked for a sec, then exclaimed "Oh yeah, Hilary Tatibana! You guys seemed like pretty close friends."

The girl answered "Yeah well, we are pretty tight. I mean, we were college roommates and we were pretty much best friends. We've been living as roommates in the same apartment now." She grinned at him.

"Well that sounds nice. You should invite me sometime to your apartment. I'd like to see just how many vases and pots you broke." Ray snickered as Mariah rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Hey for your FYI, I'll have you know I didn't break a single piece of pottery." She added in a quieter voice "Just a lot of pots."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Mariah was grinning and feeling happy, until she glanced at the diamond ring on Ray's finger. For some very odd reason, her spirits seemed to deflate when she saw the curved silver metal on his finger.

"So Ray." She asked, trying to ignore the slight feel of discomfort she was feeling. "How are you and Salima doing? I mean with the wedding and all, you guys must be pretty stressed and stuff." She sat down on the steps and listened to Ray talk (who was also sitting).

Ray sighed and scratched his head "Yeah I guess you could say that. I mean, making a lot of decisions about the wedding can be pretty hard. Though we're actually doing okay with it all. We've already gotten the decorations, the food, the….oh yeah, I so forgot!" He dug through his pockets and eventually produced a slightly bent envelope.

"Here." Ray handed the envelope to her. "This is the wedding invitation. Sorry, I meant to give it to you earlier but I guess I forgot. Anyways, it's a bit bent since it was in my pocket and I've been sitting and stuff. It had the address, the time, the date, and all the other info. You can also bring a friend."

Mariah stared for a few seconds. She brushed a finger over the seal and gave a forced smiled to the black haired man "Thanks Ray. I'll be sure to make it."

Ray smiled back and checked his watch. "Oh ho, I'm late! I was supposed to be at my friend's wedding rehearsal an hour ago. Thanks for letting me hang out with you! Bye!" He ran off in the other direction leaving the pink haired woman to at his disappearing back.

'_What's happening to me? I mean, first I note ridiculous things about Ray's smile, then I feel…odd when we talk about his and Salima's wedding, and then I **force **a smile when I say I'll be there at the wedding!'_ Mariah thought for a moment, before shaking her head to a level at which her hair was coming out of its ponytail. '_Oh well, it's probably just nothing to think about. Maybe it's just some weird cold I'm getting. I should have a checkup with the doctor later.'_

She sighed, stood up, and walked with arms full of shopping bags.

**Hilary's POV**

She resisted the urge to check her watch.

Hilary was leaning against the coffee machine and only half listening to Maggie blabber on and on about Mr. Jax.

"-and then there's this really cute freckle on his arm. Did I ever tell you about that? Well anyways, you can't really see it under that long sleeved jacket of his, but if you catch him on a sunny day and he'll-"

The rest of her attention was devoted to forcing back yawns and watching with impatient eyes at the coffee machine when she was sure that the blond wasn't looking.

'_Come on you stupid coffee machine hurry up!'_ Hilary as she glanced at the stupid piece of metal for what seemed the millionth time '_If you don't then not only will I have to listen to this girl all day, Mr. Jax is going to come in here any minute and ask-_

"Ms. Tatibana where's my coffee?!"

The brunette winced under the mad glare of her boss.

'_Well what do you know? That's exactly what I thought he would say!_' She thought dryly as she put a nervous half smile.

"Sorry Mr. Jax, I guess I lost track of time. You know, since I was giving Maggie my full attention." Hilary made hand gestures towards the blonde girl behind him.

Mr. Jax frowned in puzzlement before turning to the blonde girl and looking as uncomfortable as her (Maggie).

He coughed once or twice before saying "Ah well, Ms. Hamden. It was um-nice to see you, and especially on such a fine weather day. How are you doing?"

Maggie's face turned slightly red before she replied "Oh fine. I mean after all, this is a great….."

Hilary rolled her eyes as she watched the two people in front of her talking and ignoring the world around them.

'_Well then, they seem to be holding up the conversation pretty well.' _She thought as she reached for the finished coffee pot, poured some into a cup, placed it gently on the counter, and walked away from the so obvious chemistry that came from the two adults.

'_He'll drink his coffee when he decides to finally break off the conversation._' Hilary though smugly not watching where she was going, though it was too late as she walked smack into a body, then collapsing onto the floor.

Which should have been covered with a carpet for Pete's sake!

**Third Person's POV**

"Look doc it's like this. Today I was spending time at the mall with my friend today. We were walking around the fountain and-"

"You mean that big huge fountain in the center of the mall?"

"Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"Sometimes me and my wife would go sit by the fountain and have deep and meaningful talks. It gets boring after a while though. Continue please."

"Okay….anyways, so were walking around the fountain, talking and having a great time, when I suddenly glance at his engagement ring-"

"Your friend's engaged?"

"Yes."

"Tell him I said congratulations."

"Sure will. Now, as I glanced at his engagement ring, I suddenly had this weird feeling in my gut."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Okay. The feeling was very oh what's the word? Uh….odd. It was like something was gnawing at my stomach, though it didn't hurt physically. It just made me feel all awkward, and my happy feeling just seemed to vanish out of thin air!"

"…..you know there are people who can help you with this sort of problem."

"I thought you were a doctor, don't doctors do this sort of stuff?"

"You need a different type of doctor for a problem like this kiddo."

"What kind of doctor?"

"A psychiatrist."

"…..okay….."

"You still have to pay me though."

**Hilary's POV**

"Hilary? Can you hear me? Hellooooo?"

The brunette didn't move a muscle for a second, not even when she heard a voice from faraway. It seemed as if all was dark, when slowly, the darkness was disappearing and the first thing she saw was a face of a certain bluenette which was etched with concern.

She shook her head a bit and sat up. "What happened?" Hilary asked as she glanced at her surroundings. The brunette was sitting on a leather couch in a room with a fish tank, a desk, and a few chairs as well. "And where am I?"

"You're in my office. I carried you here when you walked right into me and collapsed onto the floor. You feeling okay?" Tyson sat next to her and fixed her with a concerned face.

Hilary nodded; flashbacks of what happened were coming back to her. "Oh yeah, I guess I was too busy thinking about Mr. Jax and Maggie that I wasn't looking where I was going." She smiled sheepishly.

Tyson frowned in confusion. "Why were you thinking about Mr. Jax and Maggie Hamden?"

The brunette shrugged nonchalantly "They just seem to be in love that's all."

The bluenette snorted "Puh-lease. As if Mr. Jax could ever fall in love. And with Maggie of all people!"

"Hey!" Hilary punched him lightly on the shoulder "Oh come on, they are in love! You should've seen them; they were talking to each other as if their lives depended on it!"

"Sorry Hil (her heart just stopped for that second) but I don't really think that's gonna happen. Mag and Jax are just….well they just don't seem like …love material." Tyson sank deeper into the couch and started laughing.

Hilary rolled her eyes "Yeah well, laugh all you want because one day you might just be surprised." She faced him with a slightly smug look.

"Yeah right. And what would you know about love?" He returned her slightly smug look with one of his own.

She rolled her eyes and replied "More than you do." Hilary stood up, her eyes never leaving his, like she couldn't tear them away.

"Oh yeah? I bet you've never even had a date since the day you were born." Tyson also stood up so their eyes were level once again.

"Hey I'll have you know that I've gone on plenty of dates!" Hilary retorted defensively. She opened her mouth to say more but caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall.

"Oh no! I was supposed be at the apartment 5 minutes ago! Excuse me, but I'm late and my friend's gonna have a cow!" Hilary brushed past him, ignored the tingle in her shoulder and ran out the room.

**Third Person's POV**

"Where were you?"

Hilary gulped. As soon as she had opened the door, Mariah pulled her in, locked the wooden object, and gave her a piercing stare.

"Sorry Mar. I was walking and I accidentally walked right into Tyson and collapsed. Then I and Tyson had a conversation when I woke up and I lost track of time." Hilary shrugged. "I promise to make it up to you though. I'll make dinner and we don't have to order take out." She smiled nervously; an angry Mariah equaled a dangerous Mariah.

Mariah frowned, looking as if she was thinking very deeply. At last she answered "Okay. Just make sure you cook only my favorite foods."

"Deal." Hilary grinned and walked to the kitchen. She searched through the fridge while Mariah sat on the counter and waited.

"So Mar how was your outing at the mall today?" Hilary asked as she produced a bag of vegetables in her hand. She dumped them all out and started chopping.

Mariah replied "Pretty nice actually. Ray invited me to his wedding. He gave me the invitation, with the date and everything." She searched through her pockets and handed the slightly bent opened envelope to her friend. "Wanna come with me?"

Hilary glanced at her friend and was surprised to see that Mariah's smile seemed forced. Being best friends for a long time certainly gave her the gift to pick up these things. The brunette pushed the whole thing back into her mind and smiled back at her friend.

"I'd be delighted to."

**Chapter Five Ends……….To Be Continued**

**Note: **Sorry for the lack of TyHil stuff, at least I put some sort of conversation between them. And I made sure to put in plenty of RayMar stuff, though I feel like I just rushed it a bit too soon. Oh well, it's still okay.

**What To Expect In The Sixth Chapter:**

1. Stuff in Ray's POV

2. Stuff in Tyson's POV

3. Plot Development

4. More of why Hilary hasn't been in contact

I AM SO SORRY I COULD NOT UPLOAD THIS STUPID THING EARLIER! I was just dealing with a couple of friend pproblems I was having, but now I'm trying tp get back in gear, so please try and forgive me!


End file.
